We can assume that digital downloads and streaming will be the format of choice in the future – but we don’t know how it will all be quantified. Will people buy digital movies and store them in the cloud using UltraViolet and iTunes or just rent from Redbox and subscribe to Netflix?

Magazines are dying – YEP, they’re pretty much dead. And the online future of magazines isn’t bright at all.

Same with printed newspapers. And newspapers online will not be able to cover the costs at their current levels – so look for further contraction of that industry.

Theatrical Distribution of movies and events is most likely here to stay when many thought a couple of years ago that the format would die (though 3DWILLdie).

Even Facebook and LinkedIn feel like old school media companies that are wearing out their welcome. They’ll eventually go out of business. In the meantime, they’ll just stick around and be as boring as ever.

How crazy is it that the Music Industry almost seems relatively healthy (after a decade of torture and pain)? As horrible as was, at least they’ve made the transition to digital – and now, though smaller, they’re actually growing again. But for how long? Nobody knows.

It’s limbo.

We can’t see what the future will be because the past won’t go away.

Too many unanswered questions.

With everything so completely up in the air, it’s a terrible time to be in the media business.

I like the way you write. Very concise. I also had the same thoughts about the music industry a few days ago. Movie Industry requires more infrastructure than music industry, therefore, re-structuring that takes more time than any other industry related to the Fine Arts (illustration, theater, music, etc.).

Yes, it sucks to attemtp to get into this business at this time, but also see the positive side: if you bring new & fresh ideas more people might be able to -at least- listen. Before this “shake”, the industry was too established and wouldn’t allow newcommers with good ideas.

Which media will remain or develop, we wonder? We should study the story of Beta vs. VHS?

This is still a better time to be betting on equipment and software than even the recent past. Protective case and media as one unit are the ideal, as was the Mini disc just late to have died. We want the end media and generating media to be the same really. Paper is a fine example. Books are made of paper. Paper is still the best back up. The paper films of the Library of Congress have proved the greatness of paper.

They have been saying such things about radio too – but no one will discount the effectiveness of talk radio (on AM too!) Someone was just smart enough on how to re-use that media. (Not to mention a lot of radio is streamed, so it is staying up.)

There is a lot of yee haa for the digital distribution, though right now many areas of the country are not covered with high speed internet (believe it or not coastal media people!) [1]

Jill also discounts the media types, but made the mistake of comparing unlike media. Radio is aural, TV visual, though certainly made a comeback although it is very saturated even with 500 channels. Paper will remain as it is the original view on demand (I prefer books on paper but I will admit reference in PDF for quick look up is nice – I’ll admit to tablets taking a lot over – until their battery dies or some publisher does something foolish [2].) She is trying to compare media with different representations as old even though they do a good job with the sensory representation they are meant to cover.

“Print is dead”, intoned Harold Ramos to Annie Potts 30-years ago in “Ghostbusters”. And, yet, the pundits continue to forecast it’s expiration date. The digital diaspora takes no prisoners… Picking tomorrow’s winners from today’s up-and-comers is still a crapshoot! Cutting edge technologies become bleeding edge, often failing as business models when critical darlings flunk out in consumer acceptance… (Ask SONY about BetaMax…) A leader will eventually emerge… But, as you bring up, “For how long?”

I’m a big fan of 3d, I choose the 3d version in the theatres over the regular, own a 3d set and buy 3d movies for it, since I can’t seem to rent them.

It’s only “dying” because the media hasn’t supported it. It took forever to get 3d content for my set, Panasonic got sole rights to 3D Avatar so it didn’t come out on the shelves for 2 years (I think), but if James Cameron had made it universally available it would have launched the 3D industry. NFL, NBA etc do not broadcast 3D games, there are no television 3D shows or exclusive 3D channels.

So it seems the media pronounced the baby dead even before it was born. A vicious circle. Once 3D without glasses becomes available though it will supplant 2D, and that day is coming! 3D died in the 50’s, was resurrected in the 2000’s, may die again, but will come back to dominate…and to stay.